This week we had some shop projects that we finally had time to get done. We painted the breakroom, re-organized our loft storage space, and tackled a dozen smaller projects that we had been putting off. Since painting the breakroom was a bit of a larger job, we put Richard in charge of it and made him project leader. Richard did an amazing job and our breakroom looks fantastic. 

That brings us to this week's topic: Are you ready to lead? Richard has many years experience being the leader of a small team so he was a natural when it came time to choosing a project leader. What about out other team members? Do we have the confidence in them to ask them to lead?

Part of our hiring practice is to ask if a potential team member is hungry, humble, and smart. Hungry means they are driven and will do what's necessary to get the job done. Humble means a person knows they don't know everything and are willing to ask questions and admit mistakes. Smart means they are emotionally intelligent and can get along with a wide variety of people. All three of those qualities make a great team member. Incidentally, they also make a great leader. When we hire a new team member, we're also hiring a future leader.

What about you? Are you humble, hungry, and smart? Are you ready to lead?


​Below: 
Richard (left) is teaching Peter and Seth how to use a jigsaw. Peter and Seth (right) are getting ready to start painting our breakroom.

This week we taught our team about Dr. William Edwards Deming and his theory of variation in Quality Management. You can find a short article about Dr. Deming's life at the link below:
deming.org/deming-the-man/

Dr. Dreming said there are four factors as to why there is variation when it comes to the quality of a product. 
1. Common cause variation
2. Special cause variation
3. Tampering
4. Structural variation

Understanding the different variations, and then collecting data to better understand which variation could be at play, is so beneficial in figuring out how to fix the problem. 

Although we believe we have a high level of quality accountability at Bridgeview (you won't find shoddy work from us), sometimes variations happen that then results in products not meeting our high standards. When that happens, we come together as team to figure out what went wrong. Are our tools worn out? Did someone hiccup as they were crimping? Were the instructions not followed correctly? Did the level of humidity in the shop cause electrical interference? When you know what happened, you can then figure out how to make sure it doesn't happen again.

How do you use Dr Deming's theory of variation to help with quality management?

Below: Seth (left) is studying customer requirements for the assembly he is inspecting. Collin (right) is working with Peter to make sure instructions and production procedures match. 

There are long-term goals and short-term goals , but how do we get there? According to Bob Bishop, author of "How To Use Strategic Goal Setting to Transform Your Business", having benchmark goals along the way to achieving a long-term or short-term goal can help you stay focused and achieve your goals faster. You can read Mr Bishop's article here:
www.thomasnet.com/insights/how-to-use-strategic-goal-setting-to-transform-your-business/
​
We currently have a short-term goal to move into a larger facility. We have been at out current location for almost 2 years and we have outgrown it. Even after using creative solutions to fit everything in, we have to admit that more space is simply necessary. Because we do not believe in going into debt, we have made it a goal to save the money needed for moving. This includes the security deposit, the rent, the cost of adding fixtures, the cost of renovating the space to suit our needs, setting up additional utility services, the actual moving costs, etc,. We brought our team together and laid out our needs and, with the help of the team, we were able to identify ways to cut back on certain expenses to save the necessary money to move. We set a date for the completion of the goal and then went about setting smaller, more strategic goals, to help keep us on track. Even though our Leadership team is responsible for steering our ship in the right direction, it takes everyone to achieve our goals. As one of or team members likes to say, "Teamwork makes the dream work."

What are some of your goals? How have you divided them up to make them more attainable?

​
​Below: 
Richard and Peter (right) talk about ways we can save money to move (they came up with some really creative solutions). Seth, Haley, Chris, and Ashlee (left) work together to problem solve how to fit what we have in our current space.  Working together as team is the only way to get this goal met!